Last mentioned: Mar 8, 2026
Market Reaction
Prediction market operators signal intent to maintain operations in contested states following federal support.
CFTC Intervention
Chairman Selig publishes an op-ed asserting exclusive CFTC jurisdiction over prediction markets.
State Legal Surge
Nevada and other states intensify legal actions to ban Kalshi and Polymarket as illegal gambling.
Administration Change
Trump administration takes office; Michael Selig is later appointed as CFTC Chairman.
State regulators are intensifying scrutiny on prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket, alleging the platforms are offering unlicensed sports betting. The move threatens to disrupt the companies' ambitious $20 billion valuation targets as they face a jurisdictional clash between federal event contract rules and state gambling laws.
A federal judge has remanded Nevada's legal challenges against Kalshi and Polymarket back to state court, clearing the way for local regulators to seek temporary injunctions. The move intensifies the regulatory squeeze on prediction markets as authorities investigate claims of insider activity and information advantages.
The Trump administration, through the CFTC, has formally backed prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket, challenging state-level attempts to ban the platforms as illegal gambling. CFTC Chairman Michael Selig is asserting exclusive federal jurisdiction, a move that could fundamentally reshape the regulatory landscape for sports betting and event-based derivatives.